


The Inferno

by MuteBlackSheep



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Biting, Cannibalism, Emotional Manipulation, Hannibal is a complete bastard because I like him that way, Light Bondage, M/M, Manipulation, Masturbation, Non-Consensual, Obsession, Violence/Gore, breath play, dante's inferno
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-04
Updated: 2013-12-21
Packaged: 2017-12-22 11:10:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/912501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MuteBlackSheep/pseuds/MuteBlackSheep
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hannibal takes Will through all the layers of hell, showing him and team sassy science what hell is really like and who resides in the center of hell, trapped in ice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Circle: Limbo

**Author's Note:**

> So yes, my first story on here, comments are welcome! If you haven't read Dante's Inferno, it'll basically be explained in this story.

Will coughed and covered his nose and mouth in an instant when the smell of rotting flesh stung his nose and burned his eyes. Jack stood next to him, both men caught off guard by the stench. "How long did you say the body's been here for?" Will asked, voice muffled by his shirt and hands. Jack shut his eyes tight, his breathing shallow as he tried to keep out as much of the smell as possible. "They said about a week maybe?" Both men slowly move their way closer to the old, rusted and weathered car. Stopping at the driver's side, both men lean over at their waist and peer into the old car. The man is bloated, his stomach and chest inflated, the skin is discolored, yellowish with the lack of circulating blood and life. The skin is also blistered, the slightest touch could make it fall off. Will cringes at the sight of maggots that pour from the boar's mouth, eyes and snout. The tusks have been ripped from its mouth and stabbed into the man's bloated chest.

"Post-mortem." Jimmy Price points out without a single cringe or blink.

"Where's his head?" Will asks, the smell no longer burning his nose. He lowers his shirt and stands up to look for the man's head. It has been removed and the boar's head has replaced it, sewn carefully and skillfully onto the man's neck. "No idea. We're still looking for it." Beverly stands next to Will, blue gloved hands placed on her hips as she stands with legs apart, shoulders back and eyes hard as she stares at the car.

"This thing has been here for years. I pass by it almost every day. It's always just been an abandoned car. Nobody's ever bothered to do anything about it. Kinda just became apart of the land. Think he's a squatter?" She asks aloud, bumping her shoulder into Will's who sways slightly with the contact. "No. He's dressed too nice. Clothes, watch, his shoes even." Zeller points out, loving to prove anybody wrong.

"Alright! Enough, clear out!" Jack waves his hand in the air above his head to his team to leave Will alone with the body. Zeller sighs loudly as he passes Will and trudges through the thick, muddy grass. It's been raining on and off for a while now, flooding the lower and more earthy areas of Baltimore.

Will breaths in through his nose as he closes his eyes. A cold wind sets in around him, blowing away the scent of wet, rotting flesh. The bright pendulum swings once, the boar's head is gone. Twice, the body is on the ground, the life already gone from the man's blank eyes. Thrice, he's alive on the ground, not tied, but drugged. His head lolls around, back and fourth as he makes sounds similar to a baby. Will looks down at him in pure disgust. He's a pig. Always has been. No common decency. It goes deeper than just simple disgust from the killer. It's much deeper than that. Will reaches down to the man and lifts his torso off the wet grass, the man's head falls back on his shoulders, mouth open and tongue hanging out slightly.

The man can't even comprehend where he is and who he is with. Will drops the man roughly, more like gives him a good shove back. The man fell hard, the wet earth under him muffling the sound of his body hitting the ground. Will leans over him and quickly begins it. "I wrap my hands around his neck, hard, strangling him. Not to kill him, no. Only to simply keep him in a state of limbo. Dazed and confused before I begin my work, but enough to make him aware of his surroundings. I want him to know what I am doing to him." Will's hands tighten around a fat neck, fingers digging hard into the soft, warm flesh. "He's too weak to fight me, this is just as I want him." Will pulls his hands from the man's now red neck. "While he gasps for air, I slowly cut open his shirt and begin to slowly carve holes into his chest." Will picks up a knife from the ground next to him and pops off each small, pale yellow buttons from the man's white shirt.

The tip of the blade meets the fatty flesh and he slowly begins to apply pressure while turning the blade slowly in a circular motion. It slowly digs deep into the man's skin. His voice is weak as he tries to scream in pain. Thrashing is out of the question, he's far too weak for that. The holes bleed profusely and the man's skin is paling. "He's alive, but he's in shock. That's fine. He won't be in shock for much longer. While he is alive, I bring forth the two broken tusks and fit them into the holes in the man's chest." Will places the jagged, broken ends to the holes and begins to push the tusks into his skin, twisting it to make it fit. "It's a tight fit, but it's just as I want it. I want to make sure that they stay in place." Will picks up the large hunting knife again and holds it to the man's throat. "I plan to remove his head and show the world what this man really is."

Will cuts into the flesh quick there. The man bleeds out onto his hands and with much struggling, he removes the man's head. "He's not ready for his new head just yet, so I set him up in the old, body of the car. It's exactly like that act he has put on for so many people before. Weak, old and worn. He's not tough. He plays it and takes advantage of it." Will picks up the body from under his arms and drags him to the car, shoving him in and tying his hands to the steering wheel. "He's ready now." Will smiles at his work, half done. Will walks away and comes back with the boar's head. He places it on the slick, bloodied neck and begins to skillfully sew the boar's head onto the man's neck. "He gets what he deserves, I pull his mask off to reveal his true self. This is who he really is. This is my design."

Will opens his eyes and glances around him for a few seconds. He yards away from the old car. Jack is jogging up with Beverly on his heels. Will shifts around on his feet, spinning around to look at the car from a distance. "Is it the Ripper?" Jack asks instantly. "Are you okay?" Beverly steps from behind Jack to see to Will. "It's the Ripper." Will pulls his glasses out from his old, olive coat and places them on his face. "I knew it!" Jack hisses and Beverly looks between Jack and Will. "Are you sure you're okay?" She touches his shoulder and he instantly pulls from it. He's thankful for her concern, but he isn't a child and doesn't need to be coddled. "I'm fine. Thanks." He nods awkwardly towards her. "You won't find his head though. Even though no other organs were taken from him, his head was." Will pulls his coat closer to his neck, blocking out the biting cold wind. Beverly nods in agreement, tucking some of her long, black hair behind her ear from the wind.

Will watches as the body is carefully removed from the car, maggots falling from the orifices. The pale things fall to the floor and twist around before settling down in their right positions and slowly inch their way away. The stitching rips the boar's head falls from the man's body. It hits the ground and rolls right onto Will's feet. The man, distracted, looks down to see Hobb's head on his feet, his milky blue eyes staring up at you.

'See? Do you SEE?' His mouth moves slightly.

Will gasps and jumps away from the rotting head. His heart is beating quick and hard in his chest. His breathing is quick and coming out in loud gasps. He's surprised he doesn't have an inhaler to help with these situations. The men with the body groan and drop it at the new, harsh stench coming from the neck. Flies crawl out and take off while more maggots pour from the green flesh there. Everybody at once backs away from the scene. It is too much for some. A few take off to an empty space and empty the contents of their stomachs.

Will is sitting on a chair at the bureau. His glasses are off, sitting on the edge of his knee. "Will." He jumps and they fall from his knee. Alana smile apologetically at him and steps froward, picking the glasses off the floor and setting them back where they were perched before. Will gives a tight smile and puts his glasses on before they can fall again. "How are you holding up?" She touches his shoulder and smiles at him. he tries to give a smile back, but he seems to be limited to one smile a day, no matter how forced or faked it is. "Like I've just spent my whole day on a picnic with a rotting corpse." It's his attempt at humor. He's more of the silent type. Clearly. Alana smiles, her blue eyes soft at his attempt of socializing. "As long as you treat it right then I'm okay with it." She grins and Will gives a hollow laugh, the edges of his lips turning up in the slightest.

"It's getting late, don't you have an appointment with Hannibal?" She touches his knee and he pulls from the touch. His mind is still wrapped around the body in the car. "What time is it?" He rubs his face again, moving the thick lenses from his face, hands traveling over the stubble. "Almost six in the evening." She looks to her watch for a moment. "Yeah. I should get going. I've got to see a man about the voices in my head." Will rolls his eyes and stands, Alana rises with him. "Have a good night Will." She smiles at him and watches him go, only getting a nod from the other male in response.

Will has always loved the way Alana looks at him, as long as it is void of all pity and worry, then he loves it. His mind remains on Alana as he gets into his car and drives off to Hannibal's office. Alana is always a bright ray of sunshine in the middle of an Alaskan winter. Then again, she has to be with the poor, damaged people she works with. "Am I really that damaged?" Will asks himself, glancing around his car. He's been sitting in his car, parked for fifteen minutes outside of Hannibal's practice.

These sessions have slowly become easier to go to. Before where he dreaded every moment of it, now he looked forward to get a lot of these cases off his chest. Usually sticking to work and avoiding personal issues at all cost. Jack has asked Dr. Lecter to become his unofficial and exclusive psychiatrist. Only he was granted access to the outermost rings of Will's mind. Though there were times where he felt cracks in his walls begin to form while Dr. Lecter slowly chipped away at the hard walls.

"Good evening Will. Come in." Hannibal greets Will, the door to his office open to the waiting room. He steps aside to let the male in. Will sticks his hands into his coat pocket and steps past Hannibal, turning his head away and down to avoid eye contact at all costs. "How are you today Will?" Hannibal asks as he picks up his note book and takes his seat opposite of Will.

"A decaying boars head rolled off a man's body and I saw Hobbs." Will tried to sound as sarcastically chipper as he could. Hannibal arched a brow at Will.

"A case of yours?" He opens his note book and scribbles a few things down in it.

"Yeah, though it's pretty cut and dry. Another Ripper victim. As always, there's nothing on him." Will scrubs at his face again.

"You said you saw Hobbs? Did he say anything to you this time?" Hannibal tilts his head off to the side the slightest.

"Oh, you know. Not much. Just his usual rambling, asking me if I SEE it!" Will snaps at the end, closing his eyes as he feels an oncoming headache. Removing the bottle from his coat pocket, Will pops open the lid and removes a few aspirins, popping them into his mouth before dry swallowing it.

They stick in the back of his throat.

Will runs his rough hands over his face once more before pulling them down and setting them into his lap, only to move them, running them over his thighs to dry the clammy sweat. Hannibal nods slowly, watching Will carefully. "Is he always there while you're at a scene or on a case? Or is he there in every day life, outside of work?" Hannibal asks Will, watching as he thinks about his question then looks away from him.

"Is that a new clock?" Will asks suddenly, rising from the chair to walk to the wall where a very old and dark wood clock rest on the wall.

"You're avoiding my question Will." Hannibal doesn't bother to dance around the subject of him avoiding this.

"I'd... just rather not talk about it right now." Will looks over his shoulder at Hannibal.

"How do you expect me to help you if you cannot confide in me?" Hannibal keeps walking, his feet soft on the floor as he moved closer to the special agent.

"Just..... not now." Will turns his head from Hannibal when the man is standing just behind him.

"Hobbs is dead Will. You killed him to protect Abigail. You killed a killer to save an innocent girl. You have nothing to feel guilty for." A tanned hand comes to rest on the wall just over Will's shoulder.

Will stares at the tanned hand. This is a game that they seem to be playing for a while. A kind of cat and mouse. Both flirt with each other in a way and the other chases. At the moment, Hannibal was the cat and Will was the mouse. "I don't feel guilty." Will said suddenly and he looked down, instantly regretting what he's said. He doesn't feel guilty for taking a life, he enjoyed it and it scares him. Hannibal removes his hand and backs away from Will, sitting down in the chair he was in before again. He know he's won this round so he doesn't harp for Will to come sit down.

Defeated, Will turns from the wall and drags his feet back to the chair. "I don't feel guilt about killing Hobbs. You already know that I felt powerful doing it. Every time I get into a killer's head, I am reminded of the pleasure I got from taking a life. I want... I want to forget about that feeling." Will buries his face in his hands, taking a deep breath before pull his head up. Hannibal is staring at him with a calm and collected stare and under that stare, there is joy and excitement. Instantly, Hannibal snuffs it out to keep it from showing in his calm face.

"Within time." Hannibal replies, a small glint in his eyes.

Will scoffs and shifts in his seat, sinking lower into the chair. "It couldn't come sooner?" Will places his hand on the side of his head. "I just... want to sleep. I want to rest from all of this."

Hannibal arches a brow, staring at the man across from him. "Jack gave you an out and you never took it. Are you now regretting your decision not to take it?" Hannibal carefully sets his pen on the table next to him, next to the controlled box of tissues. The large hands fold in his lap, light brownish reddish eyes trained on Will.

"I know. I know. I don't regret it at all. I love... saving lives. I just don't love having to deal with these killers in my head, to deal with Hobbs showing up at the crime scenes. To deal with these nightmares, waking up through out the night, drenched in sweat." Hannibal's eyes gloss over as he imagines Will in bed, wearing practically nothing, tossing and turning in a nightmare fit. Covered in sweat. Hannibal blinks and comes back when he realizes that Will is staring at him oddly.

"You uhh, you left there for a moment didn't you doctor?" Will grins, his mind taken off of the crime scene.

"I deeply apologize Will. I was not neglecting you. I was still listening." Hannibal shifts a bit in his seat, uncrossing his legs.

"No, no. It's fine. It brings a more... human sense to you." Will's eyes are soft and yet, still haunted. It relaxes Will, being reminded that Hannibal is still human despite his cold, inhuman exterior. Knowing that he is talking with another human, socially interacting like he should be, despite his fears and worries about picking up on everybody else.

Hannibal smiles at Will's reaction, his relaxation and his calm sense. After the rest of the hour, Hannibal stands and walks with Will to the patient's exit, opening the door to let the empath out. "I will see you later this week Will." The smaller male nods awkwardly and walks away, his feet dragging on the floor. Will stops walking and looks over his shoulder when he hears the door close.


	2. Second Circle: Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will is on a case where cheating spouses are being mutilated and set up on display. This case makes Will think about Dr. Lecter more than is healthy for a doctor/patient relationship. Flirting ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to let y'all know, those tags are up for a reason, as a warning. So if any of those trigger you, then it's best to stay away. Just letting you know that I will not have a warning about triggers up in the AOs. 
> 
> Thank you so much for the comments and kudos! All of you lovely people have assured me and I'm all excited to keep going with this!!!! By the way, I mainly listen to Wild Beast's Smother album while writing these chapters! XD 
> 
> Also I have figure that there will roughly be around 10 chapters of this or so. Maybe one after the last circle and maybe one or two for a circle that has a lot of rings, rounds and Bolgias. I haven't decided on that yet. And yes, the tags will change as I upload new chapters.

"I'll see you tomorrow afternoon. He'll be gone for a week on business. I'll only have to make a few calls to him through out the day." Painted, red lips smiled to a taller male who simply grinned back and nodded. "Good, I'll get to see more of you then." He spoke as he reached out to run his hands down her sides. The woman giggled and removed the man's hand. She turned, blonde hair flowing with the motion until it came to a stop. With a fleeting look over her shoulder, the woman smirked and winked at him before getting into the silver car and driving off. While at a red light, the woman pulled and shifted to remove the worn thong and replaced it with simple, modest underwear. She pulled her hair up into a quick, messy pony tail and then removed her make up. She continued on for a while more before stopping in a large parking lot.  
  
There weren't that many cars parked at the back of the mall, but enough for the silver one to go unnoticed. Carefully getting out, she doused herself in her perfume to mask the smell of sex and another man. This was her usual routine for Wednesdays. She'd say she was going over to her girlfriend's house and leave to her boyfriend's. Of course, her friend was in on it, it was the only way that this would work.  
  
It was there, in the parking lot that a man watched her from his own car. Many people looked at her and thought simply, what a beautiful woman. When he stared at her, he saw the woman swept up in a powerful circular storm. He knew what she was up to, he always knew though he did not know of the tumor pressing up against his brain. It caused these headaches he suffered from day in and day out. It caused the violent dry heaving and it caused these hallucinations. They were hallucinations touched with divinity. The man narrowed his eyes at her pretty, blonde hair. Hands tightened around the steering wheel, knuckles turning white as the skin pulled tight against the bones. The black car hummed to life as the woman climbed into the dark red car and drove off.  
  
It started off at a slow crawl then picked up pace to keep up with the woman. His own car went unnoticed by her. It was a very common model and color so she thought nothing of it as she looked into the rear view mirror. Pulling off of the main road, she drove a few blocks and stopped outside a large, two story house. She walked into the house with a small smile. There was no child to greet her, there were no toys out front or any sign of a child. How typical of her, to be so selfish. Giving into her own desires and no doubt, she refused to give her husband a child. He saw it all the time. These kind of people, always had one thing on their mind. Themselves.  
  
                                                                                             ○○○○○○○○○○   
  
Will stood in front of the makeshift podium, the barbed wire messy and bowing under the weight of the body that they surrounded. Within a block of the crime scene, everything was blocked off. It would take time for all of the wire to be cut and removed and to get the body down, but first, Will would have to recreate the crime. Will removed his glasses for a moment, allowing the world to blur him in the slightest. He really didn't need them that much, but it helped to make things clearer and to avoid eye contact with people. The more he looked at the body, the less like the Ripper's work it became.  
  
A woman's body was wrapped tightly in barbed wire and the wire extended out beyond her body, going in a circular motion and rooted to a large particle board. "Pale were the lips I kiss’d, and fair the form I floated with, about that melancholy storm." Price appeared next to Will, making the special agent jump the slightest and turn towards him.  
  
"What?" Will demanded, staring at Price as if he was the one covered in blood.  
  
"On a Dream...... by John Keats. The barbed wire looks like a storm and judging by that cut, there's much more than hate going on here." Jimmy Price steps away from Will. He turns to look at the body anew. The woman was naked, a long cut starting from her vagina and moving up to her chest. A large hole was carved into her chest and the woman's heart hung from that hole, a particularly larger piece of barbed wire connected her heart to the inside of her body. Blonde hair tangled in the wire that wrapped around her forehead like a crown of thorns. They cannot see past her jaw line, her head is angled upwards towards the dark clouds.  
  
Will continues to stare at the sexual display, his lids falling half close as his mind wanders. He doesn't want to be here. He hates looking at all of these dead bodies, but there is nothing he can do about that. He loves saving lives, it's the only reason he's here.  
  
 _You have nothing to feel guilty for._  
  
Hannibal's voice echoes in his head and Will's eyes slide close completely. It's cold out, it's always cold out. He's rather be at home, surrounded by his dogs and the space heater. Wrapped in a blanket with a bowl of watered down chicken noodle soup, watching movies while listening to the sound of rain. Rain. "Get her down! It's starting to rain!" Will shouts after his eyes fly open. He felt a few large drops land on his face and around him. People immediately begin to run around, some trying to get something large enough to cover up the body and the rest frantically trying to cut past the wire to get the body down. They need whatever evidence she holds. There is nothing there to cover her up with, so the rest turn to the body, to cut more wire.  
  
It's too late. It's already pouring hard, dried blood running off the body and dripping down to the ground. The heart slips from the wire and falls only to get caught on more wire on the way down. Will helps lower her down, his breath catches in his throat at her face, more specifically, what's been shoved into her mouth. A blue, nylon collar rests in her mouth, the silver tag hanging out and resting on her chin.  
  
'Wintston'  
  
Will lets the body go and takes a step back. He noticed that Winston's collar had gone missing but simply thought nothing of it. The dogs ran around all the time, often snuffling around the edge of the forest and sometimes inside. The dogs have lost their collars before in the woods. Though, here it is. Nestles gently in her mouth. He isn't sure which disturbs him more, the idea that a killer has seemingly taken interest in him or that the killer was close enough to touch his dogs. Will realizes that it's the latter that disturbs him more.  
  
Jack immediately sees Will's reaction and moves around from her back to her front. With gloved hands, he snatches the collar from her mouth. "This belongs to one of your dogs, doesn't it?" Jack walks up at Will who's staring off into nothing, his breathing shallow and hitching. "Doesn't it?" Jack asks with more force behind his words.  
  
"Y-yes. It belongs to Winston." He feels his body beginning to shake.  
  
Jack curses under his breath, his fist tightening around the collar. He pulls away from Will and storms off to call in police officers to have somebody at Will's home around the clock. He'd be damned if anybody harmed his special agent.  
  
Will steps back from this reality, lets himself slip back to his thoughts before.  
  
 _Will sits on the floor, his back leaning against the couch as the movie plays. He hasn't been paying much attention to it, he's more focused on the sound of the rain and the smell that fills his home. It's comforting, warm and delicious. He can hear his stomach growl that is quickly followed by a smooth and deep chuckle. Will cranes his head around and smiles. There is a different and new kind of warmth that spreads through his chest. It's not directed towards the warmth of his soft cocoon or to the comfort of his surroundings. It's direct to who he's looking at. Hannibal walks in carrying two bowls of homemade chicken noddle soup. Nothing like the watery soup that comes from a pathetic can. It's expertly put together and is bursting with all kinds of flavors. "Thank you Hannibal, it's wonderful." Will speaks, his voice slow in his ears. "Anything for you, my dear Will." Hannibal leans over and they share a kiss._  
  
Will gasps, his eyes flying open. Jack is standing in front of him. Both are soaked through and Will is shivering from the cold rain and wind. "How long was I out?" He manages to speak through the violent chatter of his teeth and movement of his jaw.  
  
"About ten minutes. What happened?" Jack asks as he tries to achieve eye contact with Will that is immediately rejected. Will shakes his head, he doesn't want to talk about it and he wants to forget all of the waking dream. It's an unfathomable thought. That warmth that resided in his chest, the sense of comfort with Hannibal sitting on the floor, at his side and that kiss. Will's head pounds painfully. Will's hands shake as they reach into his coat pocket, pulling out the small bottle. His body is now shaking from the cold, it is no longer just his jaw. Jack watches with a mixed sense of pity and concern. Will's hands shake as he opens the bottle and as he tries to tip it over to spill a few out, his shaking has caused the small, white pills to spill out into his wet hand and onto the wet concrete below his feet. The pills in his hand are soaked through and forget about the ones on the ground. Even the ones inside the bottle are ruined. Almost a new bottle, gone.  
  
"Come on Will. Let's get you inside." Jack pats Will's shoulder and leads him away from the dissolving pills on the ground. Jack guides Will to the sleek, black car, getting him inside the passengers side before slamming the door shut. The woman's body is placed inside a black bag and is loaded into the coroner's van, which immediate takes off. The wire is carefully placed inside another truck to go to the same lab to be analyzed.  
  
"When did you notice that his collar was gone Will?" Jack asks, his eyes hard and focused on the wet road in front of them. He's following the black coroner's van, his gloved hands tighten around the steering wheel. This isn't this man's first victim. He's killed before and he's only gone after cheating spouses. Like the Ripper, whom they mistaken this man for at first, he displays his victim's bodies up artfully and on display for all to see. They had learned when questioning the first victim's wife, they found that he was cheating on her. The second victim had been cheating as well. Along with the third and now the fourth. They had the motive, but that's all they had on him. Will was having a hard time connecting with this one. There was something blocking him from it, an external source. This man was gentle, far too gentle, but he was foolish. There had to be somebody whispering into his ear, telling him what to do. Will never got 'killer' from this man, no. "Do you think you'll be able to look?" Jack glances over to Will who sighs heavily.  
  
"Jack, there's no point in looking into this one. We know it's the Swindler! He came to my house, broke in, touched my dogs and took one of their collars! This isn't like him Jack! Like I told you before, there's somebody else involved in this. Maybe not directly, but there is somebody pulling his strings, making him do this! Whether it's from brain washing or manipulation, there is somebody else involved. We won't find anything else on him, we won't get anymore answers than we already have!" Will is rubbing his temples with obvious pressure, the skin around his fingers turning white. As he pulls his hands away from his temple, the skin remains white for a few seconds then slowly fades back to his pale complexion, the area a slightly redder color than the rest of his face.  
  
"But why would he target you? What reason does he have to go to your home and take a collar from one of your dogs?" Jack stops at a red light and turns to Will. He's flustered by Will's little outburst. He's so used to Will being so compliant, he isn't aware of how much this really has effected Will.  
  
"It's not him Jack! It wasn't HIS plan to come to my home and take a collar! The person controlling him told him to do it! HE wants to sent a message to me, to us! The man is merely a vessel that carries out the commands of the person behind all of this!" Will pulls his hands back to his temples. His head is pounding, harder than before. He squeezes his eyes shut at the pain. Jack doesn't argue about it anymore, let along bring it back up. Jack knows Will is right, of course he's right.  
  
                                                                                             ○○○○○○○○○○  
  
Will stares at the body on the cold, metal table. She's beautiful. Anybody can see that. Though there are holes and flakes of blood that haven't been washed away by the rain caked into her hair.  
  
"It screams sexual, doesn't it?" Beverly is beside him and Will's shoulders stiffen at the sound of her voice.  
  
"Didn't even hear you come in." Will adjusts his glasses on his face. "It does. She's a cheater, just like the others. He wasn't forgiving with her either." Will takes a step away from Beverly. He likes her, but he doesn't like the close, human interaction.  
  
"Why would he be? She's just as bad as the others." She taps the metal table with her pen, looking over her body, tilting her head from one side to the other.  
  
"I just.... feel like there's something more here." Will crosses his arms over his chest, stormy, blue eyes staring hard at the long cut.  
  
 _Anything for you, my dear Will._  
  
Will groans and uncrosses his arms to rub at his face. He had just begun to forget about that little scene. "You have any aspirin on you?" Will opens his eyes slightly, squinting them at the pain.  
  
"Not on me, but I know there's some in Jack's office." She gestures her hand to the door. Will nods and leaves Beverly alone with the woman. Walking down the hall, Will rubs at his temples, his mind going back to Hannibal. Just thinking about him stirs up that familiar warmth in his chest. It's taken up permanent residence there, attached to any thoughts about Hannibal. It's been a long time since he's been so attracted to anybody. There was Alana when they first met, but that has long since died. She's a wonderful woman and Will doesn't want to ruin her with his neurosis. She doesn't deserve that, she doesn't deserved to be weighed down by him like that.  
  
Will slows his walk in the empty hall when he catches the sight of the Ravenstag. It raises it's might head, pitch black antlers graze the ceiling. It's black eyes are staring right at him, piercing into him. Will shivers where he stands, a forgotten tingling sensation stirs up in his loins. It's.... it's suddenly sensuous to him. It's death and destruction masked by lust and sexuality. Even as it approaches, the fear that is normally there never rears its head. The Ravenstag is feet in front of him and Will just wants to throw himself down to it's feet and give into it. For the first time in his life, Will wants to be devoured. He wants the pain and he wants the pleasure. He wants to feel the heat of another against him, inside him. The two living dreams mix together in a beautiful, poisoned concoction. Hannibal is there behind him. Will knows because he can smell the man's natural, spicy and smooth scent.  
  
Will shivers again as two large hands followed by two arms wrap around him and hold him close to another body. "It wants you Will." Hannibal whispers in his ear before giving it a lick and Will suppresses a moan. His eyes roll back at the sound of cloven hooves coming closer to him. It's there, right in front of him, he can feel the hot breath on his face, he can feel its presence deep inside him, everything in his body screams at him to cling to Hannibal and yet, it also screams for him to throw himself at the might beast.  
  
"WILL!" Large hands grip his shoulders and shake him hard. Will's eyes fly open. He's staring right up at Jack, his head feels like it's been clamped in a vice.  
  
"Wha-?" Will mumbles. He tastes acidity on his tongue and his stomach is clenching painfully. "What happened?" Will can feel his body humming with pain.  
  
"You fainted and vomited on yourself." There is the sound of relief in Jack's voice. Will groans from embarrassment.  
  
"Please tell me there's nobody else here but us here." Will begs that there isn't a crowd around them.  
  
"Just us." Jack confirms and helps Will to his feet, his strong hands keeping him up as he guides Will to his office. "What do you remember last?" Jack sets Will down in one of the chairs and closes his office door, locking it to save Will from the embarrassment.  
  
"I was walking to your office to get some aspirin. I've had a pounding headache since I woke up. It just got progressively worse." Will looks down at his gray and blue plaid shirt, strained with what to be last night's dinner and stomach acid. He's actually thankful he didn't have breakfast or this would look a lot worse. There is the residual tingling in his groin, his body too tired and weak to even begin an erection.  
  
Jack nods then picks through his drawers, finding the bottle and handing it to Will. "Keep it." Will gives a tight smile before opening it and popping three into his mouth. Will is quickly dismissed and sent home to clean up and get some rest. He's thankful for it, but it doesn't soothe over the hallucination, dream or whatever he thinks of it as. It bothers him all the way home. As he pulls up into the drive way, Will sees the cop car stationed outside his home. He gives a small wave before getting out of his car and walking up to his home Once he's inside and past his pack of dogs, Will removes his stained shirt and tosses it into the trash. It's ruined, no matter how many times it's washed, it will never be truly rid of the stains.  
  
A familiar wet nose touches the back of his leg. Will knows that there's only one dog that would do that to him and he's missing his collar. "Hey there boy." Will smiles at Winston and sits on the floor in his kitchen, letting the dog crawl into his lap and lay across it. Will's fingers run through the soft fur as his mind wanders once again. It wanders again to Hannibal. He can remember and recreate everything about the man in his head easily and his heart pounds painfully in his chest in response to his thought about him. Will's arms tighten around Winston as he buries the thought and realization. He can't.... he doesn't want to.... there' just.... no way.  
  
Will stands suddenly, Winston getting to his feet before he can be knocked down. His feet take him to his bathroom where he strips and gets into the old, worn shower before staring it. It'll help clear his head, relax him. It always does. Though this time, his shower fails him. Will has one hand pressed against the wall while the other is working on his hard cock. It's been some time since he was able to successfully masturbate and of course, it's to the man he's been thinking about all day. Will throws his head back as he moans, hand moving faster over his cock. Eyes rolled back and imagining Hannibal behind him. It's Hannibal's large hand that surrounds his erection and pumps him relentlessly. Will is thrusting into his hand, teeth digging into his lower lip, swelling it and flushing it.  
  
 _"That's a good boy, just like that. Keep yourself still, you don't want me to stop do you?" Hannibal's voice hums in his head._  
  
"N-no... don't stop." Will whimpers to nobody. Knees shake at the sensation. "P-please Hannibal." Will begs his imagination.  
  
 _"Within time my sweet Will. Within time, all of you will be mine. I promise when that time comes, I will mark every single inch of your body."_  
  
Will gasps, hand clenching at the slick tile for something to grab a hold of as he cums, hard and sputtering. Will holds his breath through his strong orgasm, it's much more intense than he ever had before. Body slowly comes down from the high and Hannibal vanishes from behind him. Eyes open and Will looks down to his hand and the shower wall where his cum is coating the surface. There's so much shame. He just thought about his therapist while masturbating. It's the first time this as happened. To top it all off, he has to see Hannibal in a few hours.  
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"Will, you haven't look at me once since you've come." Hannibal is sitting in the chair opposite of Will, the chairs had been pulled closer together. It was an exercise to show how far they had come, it was also helpful to Will so he could see their progress and get used to being close to others. "You haven't even said anything either, all session." Hannibal shifts one leg over the other, smoothing his trousers. Will keeps his eyes trained on his own, worn blue jeans. He really realizes the difference between them now. It's always been about talking with one another, Hannibal helping him through all of his problems.  
  
Will grunts in a response. Hannibal sighs softly, he's loosing his patience. "Will." He says, much more firmer now. It causes Will to shift uncomfortably in his seat. Hannibal rises and walks to the door, opening it and holding it open for Will. "Then if you don't mind, I'd like it if you'd leave so I, myself, can head home." Hannibal threatens, getting an immediate reaction from Will.  
  
"No!" Will shouts suddenly, lifting his head. Hannibal arches a brow then slowly closes the door.  
  
"Then... talk." He returns to his seat, eyes kept on Will's face. His usual pale skin flushes under Hannibal's stare.  
  
"Just have a lot on my mind right now. Can't really think straight." He mumbles and sits back with a sigh. "The woman that was found today had Winston's collar shoved into her mouth."  
  
Hannibal's brows raise when Will finally talks. "Your dog's collar, the multicolored mutt, correct?"  
  
Will's eyes flicker to Hannibal's face. He's actually surprised that Hannibal remembers him. "Yeah. The killer was in my home. He was able to move around without them barking. They let him touch them. They know him." Will rubs his face, avoiding the real reason for his discomfort with the man.  
  
"That's not all that's bothering you, is it?" Hannibal grins while Will's head is bowed. He can smell the shame on him, he can smell the desire and his nervousness. When Will sighs, the grin is knocked from Hannibal's face.  
  
"No, it's not." tired hands scrub his face as he tries to get his thoughts in order. He can't tell Hannibal that he wants him. The way the man has taken up so much of his mind, the way it always trails back to him, Will cannot deny the desires he has for Hannibal anymore. Though he tried to buried it earlier, it was quickly dug up, washed and set on display for all to see. "It's not even ethical." Will mumbles darkly at himself.  
  
"What isn't?" Hannibal feels a jolt of excitement through his body at the sight of Will squirming slowly. The empath stands and goes back to the wall with the intricate, new clock. He stares at the face, as the minute hand slowly shifts by.  
  
"Just some thoughts. Nothing more." It hurts to say it like that, but he doesn't want to tell Hannibal, but he also knows that he can't hide it from him anymore. He won't be able to. With all of the waking dreams he has, the nightmares and the sleep walking. Who knows who he talks to in those states, who knows if he could accidentally call Hannibal and tell him.  
  
"Will..." Hannibal's voice is chiding and Will instantly groans.  
  
"Please, not now. I don't want to talk about it." Will begs, heat rising to his face again. A firm hand finds its place on Will's side. It's intimate, too intimate for doctor and patient, but perfectly fine for friends and lovers.  
  
Lovers.  
  
Will shivers under Hannibal's hand and Hannibal knows that he's got him right where he wants him. Will wants to say something, anything to get that heavy hand off of him, to break the contact they have. The hand slowly moves off of Will's side and the instant it's gone, he wants it back.  
  
"Okay then. We won't talk about it." Hannibal moves away from Will and sits at his desk. There's a great distance between them. They are basically on opposite sides of the room from each other. There is only the fleeting scent of Hannibal and his heat on his side. It's like he's lost apart of himself in the space. Will turns to face Hannibal, when he looks up, he finds that they man and writing something down in the black, leather notebook. He's not paying any attention to him. Will continues to stare at him, then looks to his feet, back up to Hannibal and back to his feet again. This isn't right.  
  
"I'm starting to feel something that isn't right." Will suddenly blurts out. Though he's silently begged for this distance, he doesn't want it.  
  
Hannibal looks up from the notebook to Will, surprised as if he's just realized that the man is there in the same room with him. "What feelings would that be Will?" Hannibal closes the notebook, getting to his feet. It's worked. He dangled the bait in front of Will and he's grabbed a hold of it and now the hook is buried deep inside his throat. He moves slowly across the room, bridging that gap that he's created.  
  
"Just.... inappropriate feelings." Will is trying his hardest to keep his answers vague.  
  
"Towards what, or whom?" Hannibal slowly breathes in through his nose. He can smell everything Will is giving off and it is simply delicious. Will's head is down and he mumbles something. "Excuse me?" Hannibal asks politely.  
  
"Towards you."  He spits the words out suddenly, unable to say then any other way. Hannibal grins though Will cannot see.  
  
"How so Will?" He's right in front of him, hands remaining at his side.  
  
"In... a very.... sexual way." It's hard to speak now, his voice is strained and he talks through his teeth, his tongue feels thick in his mouth and his heart is hammering in his chest.  
  
Hannibal chuckles and instantly, Will's heart falls. That's it, he can never see Hannibal ever again. Will is already thinking about another way around seeing him, getting a new therapist, avoiding this building should be easy, though he isn't sure if he can avoid him at work since Jack likes him so damn much. "I thought that's what I smelled, though I couldn't be too sure since it was coming from you Will." Hannibal's hand is lifting Will's chin up so they make eye contact. He forces it now.  
  
There is shock, confusion and a hidden undertone of excitement in Will's eyes. "You could... smell it on me?" There is disbelief in his tone.  
  
"Yes. On you, it's very deep and rich. Warm and dare I say.... fuzzy?" Hannibal chuckles, assuming that comes from what he gives to his dogs. "It's been there for a while now. Though I was simply waiting until it crossed your mind and you've either accepted it or rejected it." Hannibal is walking away from Will, back to the consulting chairs, waiting for Will to sit down.  
  
"Sick right? You're my therapist. I shouldn't be having these feelings about you at all." Will gives a dark laugh, he wants nothing more than to crawl into a hole and die there. "I didn't want to seem like one of those people who falls for their therapists, develops an obsessive behavior and makes up this fantasy life." He's already gone too far with the last part and he's kicking himself for it.  
  
"Fantasy life?" Hannibal muses at Will's flushed face. "It's not disgusting, I am your friend Will and your unofficial therapist. I don't see this as a session, I see it as a conversation. We have many conversations Will, some that have nothing to do with how you feel or how you're doing. I believe we are compatible, so no. I do not see is as strange or disgusting, especially since I reciprocate your feelings."  
  
Will's twisted face of embarrassment and confusion smooth out. "Are you saying that you like me? More than just.... friends?" He felt stupid saying it like that, but it was the best his jumbled head could come up with.  
  
Hannibal chuckled. "Yes Will. I do indeed like you more than 'just a friend'. I have for quite some time. You fascinate me. You are unlike any I've ever met and like I have said, we are compatible. It isn't unethical. We are friends. The only thing that would be looked down upon is our genders. Not so much as before, but there are still many people who don't accept homosexual relationships."  
  
Hannibal's words make Will blush. He feels stupid for being so nervous about this, for feeling like a prepubescent teen, asking a beautiful girl to go out with him. He scratches the back of his head, still trying to piece it all together. "I... I wasn't really expecting this." Will laughs. "I already had things planned to find a new therapist and the best ways to avoid you if you rejected me." He laughs again and knows how sad it sounds. Somebody like him, just wouldn't be able to handle the embarrassment.  
  
"That's very rude Will." He joins in on Will's laughed, though his is only a chuckle.  
  
The fear is no longer there and the air in the room has been cleared away, replaced by crisp, cool air. Will stares at Hannibal, while the man stares back at him. They've both had the same feelings for each other and neither have whispered a word about to each other. Will feels foolish for being so nervous, for being so scared of rejection. He's been rejected before, but this was different. He wants Hannibal more than anybody before. Rejection from him would surely have broken Will.  
  
In the air, there hung a unasked 'what now?' question. Will wanted to jump for it, he wanted to ask and thankfully Hannibal beat him to the punch. "If you'd like Will, would you like to come over tomorrow night for dinner?" Hannibal sat, calm and collected as always. While Will sat in his chair, a trembling mess and still very nervous.  
  
"Like a date?" Will asks, his voice a little higher than usual, the hope thick in his tone.  
  
Hannibal chuckled and nodded slowly. "Yes Will, like a date. I believe we've wasted enough time on this cat and mouse flirtatious game." Will agrees, he shows so by smiling at Hannibal.  
  
Where Will is worried about ruining Alana with his neurosis, Will knows that Hannibal is strong and he's already trying to help him. He can take on everything that Will is, all the problems he comes bundled with and the things that take over his head. Hannibal is his anchor, what better person to fall for than his own anchor?  
  
  
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Will feels as though he's under dressed, then again, he always feels under dressed when standing next to Hannibal. A cool blue-gray undershirt with a deep blue tie with a black suit jacket and black trousers. He managed to ask Beverly to help dress him in a proper suit. She worked wonders with color. She would have made an amazing artist and she even confided in him and told him that's what she wanted to do in the beginning, but her parents forbade it. So there she was, working around dead bodies and mentally unstable people.  
  
Will shifted on his feet as he stood on the step to Hannibal's home, expensive wine in hand. He did do some splurging on it, but figured that it was best to bring something to their first date. The sexual tension between them has been there for months now, they both have felt it and failed to act on it for far too long. Now's the time to make up for all those days the tension was heavy amongst them. They would have plenty of time now. Will lifts his free hand and knocks on the door. He has to wait for only a few moments. He looks up to the dark sky. Just yesterday, they were hoisting down the woman's body from the barbed wire. The door opens as Will is looking up and Hannibal glances up to the sky, he's gone unnoticed. "You should get inside before is starts to rain." He speaks finally, pulling Will's attention away from the sky. He looks shocked to see Hannibal there in front of him.  
  
"Y-yeah." He stammers before stepping inside, past Hannibal. "This is for you." Will holds out the bottle to Hannibal. "Thank you, Will." Hannibal carefully takes the bottle, their fingers brushing each others in the process. "You look wonderful tonight Will." Not a tailored suit, but it fits him well. It accents his body, shows off what Will hides underneath those large, unflattering clothes he always wears.  
  
"A woman I work with, Beverly Katz, you've met her before. She helped me pick these out." Will looks down at himself, as he runs his slowly sweating palms down his pants. He hates it, the way he sweats so much either when nervous, scared, aroused, when he's sick and most of all, when he's having a nightmare. "The colors compliment you Will. Come, have a seat. Dinner will be done shortly." Hannibal leads Will to the dining room. The blue walls match Will's clothes and eyes wonderfully. The dark wood of the tables and chair match the dark stone of the fireplace, which currently holds a miniature inferno, the wood crackling loudly from the heat of the flames. The bones and horns stand out, ivory against the dark walls and stone. The macabre mantle piece draws Will's eyes to it and the more he stares at it, the more he loves it. It's death and sophistication all in one and it breathes life with the red flowers that surrounds the stag's skull. "A very interesting mantle piece you have here Dr..... Hannibal." Will quickly corrects himself. He isn't even sure why he almost called the man he's dating by his professional term, he hadn't for quite some time.  
  
"Thank you. The skull was a prized possession of a dear old colleague of mine. I promised to honor it the best I could." Hannibal comes in with two plates in eat hand and a bucket of ice with the wine Will bought hanging from one of his arms. "And a uhhh.. living wall right?" Will turns from the man to look at the other wall at the various plants and herbs there.  
  
"Yes, I find that the freshest of herbs bring the most to a meal. Come Will, sit." He offers before opening the wine bottle and pouring them both a glass. Will takes his seat opposite of Hannibal. the man is all nerves now. He's talked confidence into himself and now, it's gone, fled from his body. The meal looked exquisite, the meat covered with a bright red sauce, the carefully grilled, purple potatoes and bed of greens. Will waits until Hannibal has taken the first bite before starting on his own. "Hannibal, this is delicious, what is it?" Will asks once he's swallowed the meat he's taken a bite of.  
  
"Lamb chop with rosemary and pomegranate, white wine reduction." Hannibal smiles at Will, he takes joy in watching Will eat Mrs. Hawley. She was a horrid woman who complained endlessly to the young woman at the grocery store he frequented. She had yelled at the young, redhead woman about how it was because of her stacking that her recent manicured nails were chipped when the woman clearly pulled too much at the cap of the bottle. The woman then proceeded to curse very loudly at the young girl as her blue eyes swelled with tears and young children and parents looked on. The redhead wouldn't have to be bothered by her ever again.  
  
The pair made small talk over dinner and once they were both done eating, Will having more wine than deemed necessary, Hannibal gathered their plates and carried them inside the kitchen then retrieved their desserts from the kitchen. "Passion fruit compote with pomegranate, kumquats and fresh cream." Hannibal sets one in front of Will and the other at his. Hannibal hardly touched his own, his eyes focused on Will as he ate, watching as he closed his eyes at each bite and licked the cream off of his lip. The empath was so very tempting, if he had no self control, then Hannibal would have jumped over the table to take Will right then and there. But all in good time. Not now, now was not the time. Not yet.  
  
Once dessert is done and Will has expressed how wonderful it all was and how full he is, Hannibal smiles and picks up their plates, taking them into the kitchen. It leaves Will sitting alone at the dining room table. Before Hannibal has a chance to come back, Will is on his feet and heading into the spotless kitchen. "Let me help you with the dishes, it's the least I can do." Will offers as he steps up to the island, staring a Hannibal's strong back as he moves the dishes from the counter to the sink. "Nonsense." He replies, his back still to Will, who had no intention of taking no for an answer. He removes his suit jacket, setting it on the counter before rolling up his sleeves to take his place by Hannibal's side. "Will, you are a guest, I could not let you do dishes." Though he rejects Will's help again, he makes no move to stop him in helping.  
  
Will takes the dishes that have been scrubbed and runs them under the hot water to rinse them. Both men steal glances at each other until it's too much. Will is the first to break. Once he sets the last plate onto the rack to dry, he's thrown him arms around Hannibal's neck, bringing him down into a hungry kiss. There is no surprise to Will's actions, Hannibal simply grabs Will's hips and pulls him in close. Their bodies are pressed flush against each other as their lips fight for dominance. Hannibal's win and he claims his prize, slipping his own tongue past Will's lips to taste him. There is the prominent taste of kumquat in Will's mouth with an undertone of the dinner. It turns him on to taste the human dinner from somebody's mouth. Lecter isn't gentle as his fingers dig into Will's hips and he turns them to press Will into the counter.  
  
There is the slightest pained moan coming from Will as his bottom digs into the edge of the counter. He grinds him crotch against Hannibal's in response. Will's hands are working on keeping a hold of Hannibal, his hands slip into the man's immaculate hair, messing it up and bringing it down into his face. One hand slips and the other follows to pull at the burgundy tie Hannibal is wearing, his fumbling fingers manage to slip Hannibal's tie off and tosses it to the side then he turns to clutch the man's light brown shirt. "Bed.... where's your bed?" Will asks once the kiss breaks.  
  
"No Will." Hannibal is kissing Will's neck, his lips moving against the soft flesh there.  
  
"Then here, anywhere, I don't care." Will gasps as Hannibal's teeth sink into his neck, grinding the flesh there between his pearly, white teeth. A jolt of pain shoots down Will's back and hits his cock. "Now, please Hannibal."  
  
"No Will." Hannibal says again once his teeth have let go of his neck. "Not yet. The time is not right." Hannibal kisses him again then lets Will go, leaving him a panting, moaning and horny mess.  
  
"What?" Will pushed a few loose curls from his face. Hannibal is picking up his tie and fixing it back around his neck. He tightens it then smooths back his hair.  
  
"Not yet Will. Within time, yes. This can't be rushed." He's going against his own carnal desires. Will nods, understanding what he means finally.  
  
"Yeah... you're right. Sorry about that. I just..." He stops when he feels Hannibal's lips on his own. It calms him instantly, he is Tantalus and Hannibal is both his fruit and water. Finally, he's tasted the sweetest fruit and the freshest water he ever has in his entire life. They spend time together in the living room on the couch, Will sitting next to Hannibal, slowly easing into his side where the man wraps his arm around the back of Will's shoulders. He feels safe, he feels sane, he feels stable for the first time in a long time. Hannibal listens to Will talk about his youth, the time spent in Louisiana, his accent slipping here and there. He talks about moving around with his father, how his father taught him how to fish, what kind that could be cooked over an open fire, which fish had to be fried and the quality of each fish. He's relaxed like this, while his mind is off of dead bodies and murderers. This is a side Will has only shown Hannibal. "Thank you... for everything." Will stands outside, Hannibal has lent him an umbrella to cover him from the rain.  
  
"Of course Will and thank you." Hannibal leans forward to capture Will's lips in a deep kiss, nipping at his lower lip to leave a small mark. When Will turns away to go to his car, his face is flushed and his eye foggy with lust. There is a flash of headlights and Will is gone from his drive way. Not ten minutes later, Hannibal walks to his own car and leaves.  
  
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"You've done good. You've done very good. Just as I have told you. Thank you James." Hannibal touches a fevered face. It's already too late, he's dying. Hannibal would have liked to get more out of this.... Swindler as he's been called, but his time is up.  
  
"You'll.... you'll take me to heaven with you.... right? Just like you promised?" The man asks, his voice weak as he stares up at Hannibal. He sees the man as an angelic angel, sent from heaven to bring him back, to care for him in his final moments of life. "My boy... there is no heaven. There is only hell. There is no god and he hasn't sent me here to take you to heaven. I've been sent here to drag you to hell." Hannibal smiles down at the man's face when it drops.  
  
"N-no.... no, no, no. Please! No!" The man grabs Hannibal's wrists, his large hands on either side of the man's face. "Shhhh... shhh, shhh... It'll all be over soon." Hannibal coos at the man.  
  
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"I told you... I told you Jack." Will speaks from where he stands. Both men stand in front of a body on display. There is a man, tied high on a street lamp in the park. He has white Crane bird's winds sewn to his back, he is naked except for a white, linen cloth draped carefully around his wast, covering him up. Eyes are gouged out and his lower jaw it gone, pale tongue dangling down. His arms are held up by boards and on his hands is a glass platter. The platter is covered in coagulated blood and in the center is a gray sickly brain, a large tumor on the outside, the matter is black where the tumor sits. His scalp is missing and his stomach is opened, innards spilling out and hanging down.  
  
In his stomach is carved deeply, 'Swindler'. "He was turned on.... the Ripper turned on him." Will closes his eyes and shudders. Jack spins towards Will.  
  
"The Ripper? What makes you think the Ripper was the one controlling him?" Jack's eyes are wide and frantic. "Look at what he had done with the bodies Jack. Nobody but the Ripper is that artistic with his kills." Will pulls his coat close to him and opens the black umbrella, Hannibal's umbrella before stepping away from the scene. The body with the wings cast a ghastly shadow in front of Will.  
  
"Just like an angel."


	3. Third Circle: Gluttony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this took like..... forever ;A; SOOO sorry!!! I had work then school and then when I had half of the chapter done, which I was in love with, my comp took a poop and I lost it and I cried for like, ten day moons. Anyways, I decided to not give up on this and piece back together what I can remember of this so.... here it is! FINALLY! And now that I'm back I will keep up with this. Sorry everybody!!!! Much loves! huehuehuehuehuehue ♥
> 
> Sadly, it is not as long as the other DX But Gluttony is a short part in the Inferno.

The lights on the distance horizon rocked back and fourth, the faint sound of barking coming from the direction of the house. Will realized, as he lay, floating on a sea of black, those lights were his home. Will continued to stare at those lights watching as they progressively got smaller and smaller. An arm shifted, trying to lift them to maybe swim towards it. As he lifted one, he found that black sludge coated his arm and pulled it back down to the black sea. Will stared up at the blank sky, finding not a single star out. Something in him screamed to fight this, to fight until he was back to shore, back at his home. His body made no attempt to move since lifting his arm. There was a presence there with him, something told him that everything would be okay. It wasn't the comfortable, warm embrace of a mother, but the sweet guidance of death that lulled him. Will slowly turns his head to the side, towards his home. There, he sees it on shore. Though he knows it is far away, he sees the Ravenstag clear as day. He can feel it's gaze right on him, a figure floating aimlessly in a black sea.  
  
There is an urgency in him to get to shore, like sense had finally reached him. Will struggled, fighting at the sludge to make his way to the Ravenstag, fighting his way to get to shore. The beast paced the shore line, waiting for Will right there. It grew impatient and pound its hooves onto the grass, breathing heavily into the air. _'Wait!'_ Will yelled, fighting to now swim towards it. The beast bellowed and it's antlers combusted, fire illuminating the grassy shore at it's hooves. It was littered with bones. _'No! Wait!'_ Will screamed now, fighting to swim faster. The beast bellowed again and finally lowered its head. The tips of the fiery antlers touched the black sludge and in an instant, it caught fire. The flames spread rapidly until they reached Will, consuming him.   
  
The once silent house had been filled with small grunts and please to wait. Will Graham thrashed around on his bed, tangling himself up in his sweat soaked sheets. He fought against them as if they tried to drag him down. With a gasp, Will woke up, staring up at the ceiling. He was glad to see the plain eggshell color of his ceiling instead of a blank sky. A shaking hand brushed wet curls from his forehead as he slowly sat up and kicked the tangled blankets off of him. The dogs on the floor all perked up at the movement coming from the bed. Will glanced to the clock at his side, panting slightly from the nightmare. The clock on the nightstand told him it was going onto five in the morning. He shut the alarm off before it could have a chance to go off by it's self. A hot shower and a pathetic excuse of coffee later, Will was on the way to Baltimore thankfully for a lecture and not another exciting day of staring at bodies and getting into the minds of killers. Today, he got to talk about killers. Just as fun.   
  
Will parked his car in front this time and climbed the few steps, stopping the instant he looked up. "You couldn't have called?" Will sighed, fixing his glasses and fixing his eyes to the ground.   
  
"I just arrived." Jack shrugged and led the way to the parked cars. "Now what is it?" Will almost snapped. Why couldn't, for one day, he be spared of all of this? It was hard enough that he was forced to look almost every day, that he had to see lifeless eyes staring up at him. That every day, he felt more and more like the killers he searched for.   
  
"You remember a series of cases a few years ago where the vics were found without their eyes?" Jack held a folder in his hand. Will eyed it carefully.   
  
"They also had mud shoved into their mouths right? The Cicadas came out of their mouths when they were mature enough." Will looked lost for a moment, remembering coming up on the scene. Cicadas buzzed all around, a few newly matured ones crawled out of the open mouth, the eyes of the girl gone. It was warm that summer, the Cicadas filled the thick, summer air with their song.   
  
"Another vic was found the same way. No eyes and mud in their mouth." Jack stopped at his car, opening the file to look over everything inside. Will furrowed his brows, pushing his glasses up before finally looking up at Jack. "It's not summer time." The air had been freezing lately, snow must be on the way. Jack snapped the folder shut. "No. It's not. That's what's been bothering us. We thought it could be a copycat. There was a Cicada shell found inside the mud this time." Jack motioned to his car and Will got into the passenger's side.   
  
"They leave their shells behind in the fall and winter right?" Will pulled the seat belt across his chest to buckle up. "Yup. They're back." Jack finally handed Will the folder and he opened it quickly. He was greeted with a round, plump face gouged of it's eyes and mud shoved into her mouth. "There never was a connection, was there?" Will looked at her face, imagining how she would have looked with eyes. Maybe some light brown ones to match her once vibrant, honey brown hair. Was she kind? Were her hugs warm?   
  
"There wasn't until now." Jack smiled and glanced over to Will who stared up with a raised brow.   
  
"You mean, you found a connection?" Will slowly closed the folder. Nobody could find the connection ever. There were several victims, two during each month of summer. "What's the connection?" Will opened the folder back up to look at the picture.   
  
"The first vic is the mother to all the victims after her. She had given them all up at a young age." Jack tapped the picture as he drove them away from the university.  
  
"You think that's the connection? You think the murder knew?" Jack nodded once. The rest of the car ride was in silence. They didn't go to the lab like he thought they would, but to the girl's home. She lived alone in an apartment. She had been killed there. Jack left Will alone with the blood and the clutter of her home. Will walked to her bedroom, where the bed was drenched in blood. He sat in one of the white wicker chairs, staring at the bed. The white, floral curtains were drawn tightly closed. The glasses were removed from his face and he slowly closed his eyes. The pendulum swung once, the blood was gone. Twice, the girl was sleeping in bed.   
  
"She disgusts me. Her eyes bother me, the way she looks at me. Her home is a cluttered mess, it's filthy despite the lack of dust and dirt. It's filthy underneath. She is filthy. She's greedy, she has to be. She wants everything and doesn't want anything in return for it. She expects it to be handed to her. I hate the way she smiles at me. I know it's not real, I know it's for her own benefit."   
  
Jack looks around the living room, staring at the pictures, waiting for Will to come out with news of what he managed to pick up. He picked up a picture of the victim and her friend. Her apartment was nice. It was in a nice area of the city, she had nice furniture and didn't have to work. Somebody paid her rent, somebody supplied her with money. They tried tracking the source but came up blank. They were all deposited from cash only. Jack flipped through the pages of the practically empty phone book. She wasn't a popular girl, had only a few friends and no family. He snapped the book close and set it back on the counter where it had been sitting out.   
  
Will walked out of the bedroom, hands at his temple and glasses back on his face. Jack stood with his hands in his pockets, looking expectantly at Will. "The killer wasn't happy with her. It's personal. It's not random. Not like the Swindler, the killer knows her, doesn't like how she freeloads." Will glanced around the apartment, walking around. "If there's any family that might hold a grudge."  
  
"We've already looked into that." Jack sighed, his dark eyes following Will around.   
  
"What about the money? Where does she get it from?" Will sifted through the envelopes on her counter.   
  
"Dead end. Everything came from cash. If anything is paid for her, it's done in cash." Will stops at an envelope, pulling it out of the rest. All the envelopes have been opened with a letter opener. This one had been ripped open. The girl was careful with everything, Will picked this up easily. So why was this torn open? "It's been licked." The edge of the sealed envelope bent upwards, the rest sealed closed with only saliva. "She ripped this one open. Think she was in a rush to get whatever was in here? Money maybe?" Will handed it over to Jack while he moved around the apartment.    
  
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"Her eyes were missing." Will thumbed at the hem of his coat, watching as the edges began to fray under his bitten thumb nail. "She and the others were children to the first. Can't believe that was over looked. You would think that would be the first thing they would look, wouldn't you?"   
  
Hannibal shifted in his seat, slowly tilting his head to one side. "Sometimes the simplest thing could be overlooked." Hannibal smiled softly at Will, getting one back from the man across from him.   
  
"Yeah... I guess so. But a relative?" They were all given up when they were born and never had contact with her. "Sorry. Guess I shouldn't be talking about this right now. Not when we're eating at least." They weren't sitting in Hannibal's office, but his dinning room, eating a marvelous dinner.   
  
"Nonsense. It does not bother me." Hannibal hid his smile this time. No matter what the conversation, Hannibal loved watching Will, he loved the bothered look on his face as he talked of the cases, the way his brows knitted together while he thought. Hannibal rose to take away their empty plates, Will already standing to help him with the dishes.   
  
This had become an almost regular thing for them. Hannibal would make them dinner and they would do dishes together. They found comfort and warmth in Hannibal's living room. They would sit there for hours and just talk and it would always lead to them latched onto one another, Hannibal holding Will's face as he kissed him. This night was no different. The talking was though. "You are not looking too well Will." Hannibal stared at the man's paled face. His eyes looked worn and so very tired.   
  
"Just a headache. Lack of sleep, hallucinations. The usual suspects." Will forced a small laugh. He couldn't keep the negativity from his voice, couldn't help but to remind Hannibal what he was getting himself into. There was often the subject of Hannibal getting out of this before he got too deep being brought up. Will reminded him that if he ever wanted out, then he would not be blamed. The man in turn, reminded Will that he was his anchor, that he could come to him with anything. It was just the way he wanted him. Dependent on him. Hannibal was greedy when it came to Will. He wanted to dominate every single aspect of his life. Wanted to corrupt him and steal him right from Uncle Jack's hands and watchful gaze. To turn the empath against all of them and watch them scramble as they try to get him back. It would be impossible. Hannibal had his teeth in Will, there was no escaping. There was only the few simple things that he needed to set into motion.   
  
"Will, I've told you before. You need time off. You need to let your head rest, you need to take time to breathe." Hannibal touched Will's jaw, lifting his head up to look at him, to make eye contact for a moment before it was gone. So beautiful. To see that madness lingering just behind his eyes. Soon, very soon.   
  
"Yeah. I know. I'm on this case though. I need to help stop this." Will moved closer to Hannibal, resting against him slightly, the small gesture turned into a kiss as Hannibal led him in.   
  
An hour later, Hannibal led Will to the door, the younger man's face flushed after Hannibal put a stop to him asking where the bed was. Will was met, once again, with another when the time is right. The headlights flashed against the tall house and was gone. Hannibal closed the door and left for the living room, setting down on the still warm couch. All that was left, was to turn Will against Jack and he would be his. Jack was treading water to be Will's anchor, to make the empath secure himself to him. That wouldn't work. Will had no close ties to him, where as he and Will were romantic with each other. It would take time, but once Will agreed to put all of his faith and trust in him, then he would reward him with what he's been asking for. They both would be rewarded. Hannibal would have Will always.


End file.
